


Apostrophe

by PrinceForestFox



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Cat Lover Gavin Reed, Cop drama style fic, Deviant Connor, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Get ready to fall in love with Gavin, NaNoWriMo, Post best possible end, Slow Burn, graphic description of android murder, i'll add tags as i go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-14 09:30:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16490036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceForestFox/pseuds/PrinceForestFox
Summary: “Partner!?” He snapped, walking over to Fowler’s desk to lean his hands down onto it, eyes glaring up at the man who stood behind it. “Since when do I need a fucking partner. You really gonna stick me with this rookie?” He grimaced.You frowned, suddenly feeling a wave of irritation hit you as you watched him talk, your stomach twisting with an awful feeling of distaste over the negative reaction to being put on his team.“Reed, I am absolutely done with your shit. You’re a good detective, but lately, you’ve been doing shit all and I need someone who can keep you in line.” He barked. “You know very well Detective Y/N is more than able to handle herself. You’d be good to pay attention and learn a few things from her.”





	1. Partners

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from the song "Whatever it takes" by Imagine Dragons!
> 
> SO! This is my nano fic for this month! I have it all planned out and it'll be completed this month! Chapters will be released anywhere from every 1-3 days depending on the size of the chapter. I am so excited to finally share this after over a month of planning! I appreciate any comments or kudos left! Thank you in advanced for any and all support <3

“Partner!?” He snapped, walking over to Fowler’s desk to lean his hands down onto it, eyes glaring up at the man who stood behind it. “Since when do I need a fucking partner. You really gonna stick me with this rookie?” He grimaced.

You frowned, suddenly feeling a wave of irritation hit you as you watched him talk, your stomach twisting with an awful feeling of distaste over the negative reaction to being put on his team.

“Reed, I am absolutely done with your shit. You’re a good detective, but lately, you’ve been doing shit all and I need someone who can keep you in line.” He barked. “You know very well Detective Y/N is more than able to handle herself. You’d be good to pay attention and learn a few things from her.”

You watched as Gavin frowned. He acted like a child having not gotten their way, crossing his arms as he listened to Fowler talk, only stopping to glance your way a few times. There was something in his eyes you couldn’t quite place at each glance, a look of what almost seemed like, anger?...no, it seemed more- confused or even, lost.

“Y/N, this is your new partner, Detective Gavin Reed. You’ll be working with him on the new cases regarding murder and hate crimes against androids. I’m sure you’ve heard first hand from Hank how bad things have been in our department lately- it’s about time we got some fresh blood on our team to help straighten out this chaos.”

You listened closely as Fowler talked, painfully aware of the eyes from detective Reed still analytically raking over you every few seconds. You’d absolutely no idea what it was that had him so enamoured, finding it increasingly harder to listen as you found yourself watching him from your peripheral vision.

“Of course, Captain.” You said with a nod. “I’ll do my best to help out where I can, I know you’ve been overwhelmed due to understaffing.”

“I think you’ll be a fine addition to our team.” He said as he picked up a small black object from his desk, walking over to hand it to you. “Your badge.” He said with a forced smile, clearly exhausted from the work that’d been piling up. “You’re officially a detective.”

You reached out and took it, eyes taking in every small detail of the shining gold metal, the final example of proof you needed to believe you’d finally become a detective. It’d only been a week since you’d been approached by Fowler up in vice. You had just closed the case and shut down one of the largest Red Ice dealers in the state, only to have been stopped on your way out for a few drinks to celebrate. A day earlier and you wouldn’t have heard them out, but with your case closed- what did you have to lose?

“Reed. Make sure you show her around, get her settled. Oh, and no case until you both finish up that paperwork on your desk. I won’t allow either of you to do any field work until it’s sorted and on my desk.” His voice was cold when he spoke, Gavin rolling his eyes in response and waving his hand.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it.” He huffed, turning towards the door. He raised a hand over his shoulder and motioned for you to follow him. “C’mon, Rookie.”

You shared a glance with Fowler, the captain shaking his head and mouthing the words ‘Good Luck’ as you followed Gavin out of the office.

This was your first day as a detective, and you were about to spend it sat at your desk playing catch up for another agent. Another agent who, despite only having known him for around five minutes, was already clearly a massive egotistical nutcase with his head so far up his ass he couldn’t even fill out his damn paperwork.

With everything aside, he was your partner now. You felt it was only fair to give him the benefit of the doubt and try to make friends. Of course, it was possible he was just as stressed as everyone else, and from what you’d heard from Hank no one was getting it easy.

As you approached the back of the room you watched Gavin slide behind a small white desk, plopping down in his chair and sparing no time to lean back and pull out his phone. With his eyes glued to his phone, he pointed to the desk across from him.

“That’s your desk. Usually it’s where Chris sits but he’s recently moved desks. You’ll have to wait until he’s cleared it off before you can use it yourself- for now you can pull up a fucking chair or whatever.”

You watched his eyes move back every couple seconds as he scanned the page on his phone, standing quietly as you waited for more information. He frowned, eyes leaving his screen to make eye contact with you.

“What, Rookie? Was that not fucking clear? Grab a chair and we can get a fucking move on.” He huffed.

Forcing back an eyeroll you walked behind the desk opposite to Gavin’s to take the chair from behind it, pulling it alongside his desk to take a seat. Gavin sat up with a groan, throwing his phone onto the desk beside him as he pulled out a case file from the pile that stood a couple inches high. Opening it he laid out the pictures of evidence and case materials. You watched as he read through one of the sheets of paper, laying it to the side and picking up the pen beside him. He paused, looking up at you with a questioning gaze.

“Do I really have to explain how to do this? You’re pretty big talk around here ya’know, would be quite a let down if you can’t even file a simple case report.” He teased, eyes playful, yet somehow posing a challenge. “Hank boasts quite a lot having been your partner, let’s see if you live up to the hype.” He smirked.

“Excuse me?” You questioned, your brow furrowing as you’re taken aback by his snarky comment. “To me it sounds like you already feel threatened.” You paused, considering his words once more. “Or are you just jealous Hank has something to boast about in the first place- unlike yourself.” You shot.

The look on his face left you suppressing an amused smile, his sneer absolutely deadly as he attempted to process you putting him in his place for once. He huffed and went to open his mouth, only to be interrupted by a loud shout of your name from across the room.

You had barely any time to react before you had the wind knocked out of you, a big hand slapping your back in a whole hearted sign of affection.

“Hey there _Detective_  Y/N, fancy seeing you around here. Guess this means you took the promotion huh?” Hank stared down at you with a hearty grin. You smiled widely as you turned to meet Hank’s gaze, his eyes brighter than usual. Though it’d become a constant since the android revolution, it was still something that caught your attention each time you saw him.

“Oh jeez, I forgot that meant I’d be working in the same unit as you again, maybe I should get out whilst I still can.” You teased, flashing a smirk. After years of hard work in vice together, you’d grown quite close to Hank. The shit you go through on some cases really bonds you for life, and that was no different for the relationship you both had. Though on the outside it was all teasing and playful banter- you both truly cared about each other. You were sure from what you’d heard it was Hank who’d put in the good word for you- which you then realized explained the perfect timing on the job offer.

Your eyes caught a glimpse of movement behind the older man, your head tilting to the side to see who was lurking behind him. With a gasp you rose to your feet, smiling brightly as you extended your hand.

“Is this Connor!? You exclaimed, looking at Hank before quickly returning your gaze to the cute android that stood before you. His suit was neat, hair slicked save for the perfectly imperfect hair that fell gently in front of his face. He returned your smile, eyes lighting up with your interest as he put out a hand to meet yours.

“Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. Am I to assume the lieutenant has mentioned me?”

Hank gave you a look as to say ‘careful’ as he watched you hold back a smirk. Connor waited patiently for an answer as he stared back at you intently.

“You’d be right to assume, it’s such a pleasure to finally meet the android that made Hank such a softie.” You teased, Hank letting out a sigh and rolling his eyes, making headway for his desk. Connor’s brow furrowed with confusion as he watched Hank’s reaction, tilting his head as he looked back to you. He seemed to pause as he thought about what you said, LED turning yellow for a brief moment before replying.

“I don’t believe the lieutenant has been consuming more than usual, so I’m not sure that I follow your statement.” Connor watched you with an analytical search, eyes scanning your face with intent as he attempted to gather some sort of clue in your reaction. Your face softened and a gentle smile tugged at your lips, holding back the urge to awh at his misunderstanding.

“God Connor! That’s not what she means. Can you just c’mon already? We’ve got work to do.” Hank barked, stopping halfway to his desk before realising Connor hadn’t followed. Connor quickly turned to Hank and gave a quick nod.

“Coming Lieutenant!” He turned back to you and gave you another soft smile. “It was great to meet you...Y/N was it?” He said softly.

You smiled back brightly, giving him a nod before watching him turn to follow Hank, offering up a small wave, you raised your hand and watched Hank do the same. Your chest bubbled as you reveled in the wave of good feelings the interaction had brought you. The sudden realization that you’d have that on the day to day making your chest swim happily.

You turned back to sit down at your desk, a pleasant smile on your face as you reached over to grab a case file, pausing shortly after dragging it towards you. You looked up from the file to see Gavin staring daggers at you, face with a look of disgust as he shifts his gaze over to Hank with a scoff. He reached for a pen, throwing it over to you lazily before starting to go through a different case file, his entire demeanor radiating a tense aura.

You watched him for a few minutes, glancing behind you to see Hank and Connor sitting at their respective desks and then turning back towards Gavin. You watched him for a few moments, eyes trained on his face as he worked. He stopped to look up at you.

“What the fuck are you looking at?” He shot.

“I’m just trying to figure out why you’re such an asshole.”

He scoffed, rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to his paperwork, flipping through papers and checking off along the side as he read over everything.

“I just don’t have time to babysit a fucking rookie. I know Hank can’t get enough of that fucking tincan but I’m nothing like that washed up lieutenant- you got that?”

You let out a small huff before letting a dry laugh fall from your lips.

“So that’s it, huh? You’ve got something against Hank- and I’ll bet you knew we used to be partners too, right? God you’re such a fucking child.”

Gavin paused, glaring down at his paper. You watched as his jaw clenched and he shut his eyes, as if holding back.

“Listen. You have no idea what he’s been like the past couple of years. You both may be buddy buddy or whatever the fuck you are, but do _not_  come in here and act like you know what bullshit our department has had to deal with from that drunk.” He spat.

Your heart twisted as you listened, chest tightening slowly and making it hard for you to breathe as you processed the disrespectful filth that had just left your partner’s mouth. Before having a chance to reply, Gavin quickly rose and shoved his phone in his pocket.

“M’ going for coffee, be back later, don’t wait up.” He mumbled, keeping his head down as he turned to make way for the door. You shook your head in disbelief, standing up to confront him.

“What, you just gonna leave me here with all your paperwork?” You shot, Gavin easily ignoring you as he made for a quick exit. You rolled your eyes and sat back in your chair with a sigh, running a hand through your hair. What a fucking day; not only did you get stuck doing desk work first day on the job, you also got paired up with the biggest asshole imaginable.

With one last sigh you dove into the case files, reading over the recent cases Gavin had been assigned to. You found yourself almost surprised by the number he’d managed to close in such a short time, reading his statements on discovering overlooked evidence or obtaining witness statements. It was clear why despite his attitude he’d made it this far, his attention to detail and ambitious nature was clear when looking closely over his work.

Gavin aside, you had found it alarming to find the amount of cases that had come about so closely after the revolution regarding android hate crimes. Though the country may have been swayed, it certainly didn’t keep protestors or anti-android supporters at bay. In fact, it was fairly worrying to note the abuse towards androids had increased. You thought for a few moments on the topic; it was definitely possibly it only seemed that way due to the newly appointed laws regarding their rights- but it certainly wasn’t always this bad, was it?

Your mind wandered to the android you’d been newly acquainted with, one of your best friend’s partner- Connor. He must be in a difficult situation. He was in a position of power. Not only that, he was locking up the very people who were murdering his own. Sure there must be some pride to that fact, but it certainly must be hard with the amount of backlash against androids having rights- let alone any power.

Though you’d been put off by the derogatory comments Gavin had made towards Connor, you’d also seen plenty of proof that if he had any negative feelings towards androids- he certainly didn’t allow it to affect his job. You considered for a couple more seconds before shaking off the thought, pushing it to the back of your mind as you decided to focus back into the paperwork. This wasn’t the time to psychoanalyze your coworkers.

___________________________

It had been a couple hours since Gavin left when you found yourself pulling out different case files you’d already finished, flipping through them in search of specific details. The most recent case you’d been reading over was left unclosed, and you were nearly positive it’d shared similarities with one you’d read just before. Maybe it had just been a coincidence, but as you found yourself glancing over details that seemed far too familiar, you found yourself unable to concentrate.

Your stomach twisted as you found the file you had been searching for, raising the details of the case to your face as you compared the facts to the file you’d been in the process of reviewing. You hummed, subconsciously biting your lip as you fell deep in thought. The specifics seemed too uncanny, your mind jumping to conclusions as to the possibility that the suspect may have been a multiple offender.

You laid them out side by side, comparing the pictures as you cross referenced the crime scene. Your thoughts danced with speculation, attempting to reel back your assumption and not jump the gun on this. Afterall, it wasn’t as if there were many ways to kill an android, there was nothing far too specific that could lead you to assume it really was the same guy. Your eyes carefully scanned over the images, searching for something even Detective Perfect could have missed.

With a blink you felt taken aback, squinting as you raised a photo to your face as if it allowed you to enhance the crime scene photo further. You tilted your head as your reached for the written statement, your brow furrowing as you scanned over what exactly you were looking at. You closed your eyes for a moment, mind picking apiece the thoughts that trailed through your mind, attempting to reach the conclusion you knew was there.

“Hey Rookie! You ain’t sleepin on the job, are you?”

Your eyes snapped up as your raised your eyes to meet your partner, a coffee in hand as he pulled the chair back at his desk to take a seat. You opened your mouth to reply before settling with a head shake.

“No, I’ve been too busy slaving away at _your_  paperwork.”

You grumbled, turning your gaze back to the papers spread out on the desk. Reading over the section you’d just reviewed a second time, trying to process your thoughts like a word on the tip of your tongue. Gavin sat and watched you for a few moments, mouth still in a slight frown as his eyes watched your every movement.

He was observing, watching you with a soft gaze not meant to draw any attention, one he hoped had been as subtle as he intended. With coffee in one hand, he pulled out his phone in the other, keeping his head tilted down towards the screen as his eyes watched you with a curious interest. For a moment, he felt he’d been safe to just stare, taking in your state of complete concentration.

It wasn’t long before his eyes wandered to the papers in your hand. He stared for a moment before dropping his gaze to the desk, his brow furrowing as he stared at the multiple cases sprawled out on the desk.

“What the hell are you doing anyway? You don’t gotta solve the fucking case, just read through the damn thing and sign it.” He huffed, honestly confused by why you’d want to draw this damn shit out. He momentarily wondered if you’d been trying to show him up, but quickly dismissed it, you were already fairly respected amongst their colleagues.

“Just...Something’s really bugging me about this case...doesn’t seem right.” You spoke softly, eyes not leaving the page. Your tone of voice causing Gavin to cock his head, pausing for a moment to stare at you again. He watched you as if he was waiting for you to speak, his interest peaked in your curiosity of the case. Despite being a little annoyed at you delaying the work, if you’d truly found something- he needed to know.

You hummed for a few moments before putting down the files and shaking your head. You bit your lip as you tried to put it together, your attempt at creating a connection feeling unfathomable.

“No I’m wrong, I think I’m just reading too far into things.”

Gavin huffed and rolled his eyes as he sat back in his chair. He turned to grab a few more case files with a large swig of his coffee. Sure he hadn’t said anything, but the way he’d looked at you seemed as if he’d been ready to listen. Despite trying to hide it, you’d caught the look of disappointment as he shrugged it off, feeling a bit downhearted that you’d not been able to put something together. He seemed to prioritize work over personal opinions, which was reassuring.

________________________________________

Gavin stayed quiet the next couple of hours, head buried in work just as yours had been. It had made things go by fast, the stack of files finally getting close to the end as you heard people around you start to pack up and leave for the day. You sighed, sitting back in the chair as you dropped another file onto the pile.

“God, this is going to take another couple of hours.” You groaned, raising your arms above your head to stretch. “I don’t understand how you can just let shit pile up like this.”

He raised an eyebrow before turning to look towards you. “Someone's gotta solve the fucking case, I don’t always got time to sit around and read through pointless crap like this.” He shot, eyes shifting to the side of you as he let out a snarl, turning back to his work.

You blinked, frowning in confusion from his sudden display of disgust before the answer arised on its own, a hand slapping down on your shoulder causing you to jump. You took a deep breathe before turning and shooting your old friend a glare.

“You scared me half to death, Hank!”

Hank smiled, looking fairly amused by your reaction.

“What? Gonna give an old man a hard time? And here I thought I was being nice coming to offer to take you out for drinks after your big first day on the job.” He teased. You playfully rolled your eyes at him, a small smile tugging at your lips as you found it hard to hide your enjoyment from the banter.

“I’d love to Hank, but I’ve got so much paperwork- I’m not sure when I’ll be done.”

Hank frowned, eyes shifting to look at Gavin who looked thoroughly agitated by Hank’s presence, nose buried deep in paperwork to avoid any interaction.

“What, detective shithead gonna make you stay late on your first day to do _his_ paperwork?” Hank glared, tone lower than the one you were used to as he attempted to intimidate him. You felt the hairs stick up at the back of your neck from the tension, opening your mouth to quickly defuse the situation and assure him it was fine.

“She can leave if she fucking wants, not as if I care.” Gavin spat.

You turned around to look over at him, pausing as you watched him avoid you both at all costs. Before you had time to answer Hank was doing so for you, grabbing onto your shoulder and trying to drag you up and out of your chair, coaxing you to follow him.

“Alright Hank, I’m coming, let me go.” You said with a bat to his hand. “Connor coming with us?” You asked, brow raised.

“Why the fuck would he?” He grimaced, putting his hands on his hip with a pout.

“Because he’s your partner, Hank.” You smiled, brow raised as you nodded towards the android sat perfectly in his chair behind Hank. Hank rolled his eyes, nodding his head towards Gavin and giving you a teasing look and a smile.

“Yeah well how about your partner then, huh?”

You opened your mouth, pausing as you turned to look towards him, his eyes still scanning over a case file. You looked back at Hank, a small frown on your face as you shook your head.

“You know that’s different.” Your tone hushed slightly. “Would you just go get Connor, I’m sure he’d like to join us.” You said with a pleasant smile.

Hank put his hands up in defeat and nodded, giving an over exaggerated frown as he turned back toward the other side of the room to where Connor sat at his desk. You watched him walk for a few moments before turning back to your desk to clean up the open case file you had laid out on it.

You looked up at your partner, guilt spinning in your gut as you suddenly felt, despite his nasty attitude, worried you may have caused him a sting. It wasn’t as if you harboured much care for the man who’d done nothing but bitch since you met him, but you still felt as if you were abandoning him to finish his work in an empty office.

“DetectiveReed?” You asked softly. He let out a small hum in acknowledgment, continuing to read the file without budging. “Are you sure you don’t need me to stay and help?” You watched closely as he put down the piece of paper and turned to look at you, eyes avoiding contact.

“Listen, I can take care of my own damn paperwork. You really think I need your fucking help for this bullshit?” He scoffed. “Go fuck around with the washed up lieutenant and his plastic partner, see if I care.” He sneered. You huffed and picked up your jacket from the chair with a swift motion.

“Right. I was just offering. You know, you don’t have to be an asshole all the time, detective.” He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself, gaze searching your face as he finally met your eyes. “I’m your partner now, which means I have your back despite the disrespect you’ve shown me. Just keep that in mind.”

You both held each other’s gaze for a few moments too long, seconds feeling like minutes as nothing was said. Gavin opened his mouth finally, eyes shifting to the side as he went to speak.

“Hey Y/N!, You ready to go? Leave Detective asswipe to his paperwork and lets get going!” Hank called, throwing his own jacket over his shoulder as he slipped the other arm inside, Connor standing closely by watching you. You turned back to Gavin to see him buried back in the casefile. With a pause, you nodded, taking in a breath before speaking.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow, Detective.”

He raised a hand to wave, eyes glued to the file. “Yup, don’t get shitfaced Rookie, I’m not cleaning up after you if you’re sick on the job.”

You rolled your eyes and turning your attention back to Hank and Connor. They both smiled at you, gesturing towards the door as they led you out. This is most definitely what you needed after today, a good drink.

Or three.


	2. Crack the Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Gavin get your first case together as partners~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Sorry this one took more time than planned, it ended up being a lot longer than I thought it'd be! Enjoy!!
> 
> Thank you so much to the beta readers,  
> My husband- @glacial-coyote on tumblr  
> and two of my besties- @etherealdechart & @aelwen on tumblr!

“God! Calm down, what the fuck are you talking about?”  
  
Your mind tugged gently at consciousness, the sounds of a familiar voice slowly coaxing you awake as it grew louder. For a few moments you wondered if you’d still been dreaming, shifting in your still drowsy state. You listened more closely, brain becoming less fuzzy each second. Your brow furrowed as you put the pieces together in your head, paying close attention to the gruff annoyed voice shouting into the phone.  
  
_Hank?_  
  
You peeled your eyes open, blinking as the room around you slowly focused, squinting as the sun blared through the windows. Eyes narrowing, you gazed around, trying to grasp where you were. Staring at a blob in the corner, you attempted to process the information you were staring at, brow furrowing as it came together-  
  
_Sumo?_  
  
You heard the clicking of shoes, the sound growing louder as they moved towards you. They stopped not far from you, your head turning lazily with a yawn. With a few blinks you looked up to meet the eyes of the cute android you’d met just the day before, eyes holding a relaxed kind gaze. He smiled gently at you, head tilting slightly.  
  
“Good morning, detective.” His tone was soft and polite. As always.

For a moment you found yourself caught in that soft gaze, giving him a lazy “Mornin’” in response.  
  
With a blink, you frowned and looked around the room once more, eyes growing wider as your mouth dropped, realising where you were. You looked back at Connor, before giving a soft chuckle.  
  
“Guess I didn’t make it home last night, huh?” You smiled warmly back at the android. Pushing yourself up on the couch, arms stretching over you with another yawn. Connor shook his head in response.  
  
“No. Though I did insist we get you home, Hank assured me it would be alright if you stayed here for the night.” His smile stayed bright, making your chest tighten slightly. It sure had been nice to be greeted by such a kind gaze first thing in the morning. As the shouting got louder you both turned towards the hall that led back to Hank’s bedroom.  
  
“Hell no you can’t come to my house! Hey! No! Don’t you fucking hang up on me!”  
  
Connor looked back at you, brow furrowed and eyes going narrow as he looked at you as if you had some kind of answer. The sound of loud thumping quickly moved towards you, Hank coming towards the front room where you and Connor were.  Hank cursed under his breath, shoving his phone into his pocket with an annoyed groan.  
  
“Everything alright, lieutenant?” Connor asked, face written with concern as he attempted to assure everything was fine.  
  
“You tell me. Y/N’s delightful partner just called and informed me he was ready to break my damn door down if we didn’t forfeit her immediately.”  
  
“Excuse me?” You asked, confused by the entirety of the statement, shaking your head in disbelief. “Did he really say that?”

Hank opened his mouth and then closed it, rolling his eyes as he put a hand out.  
  
“Okay maybe those weren’t his _exact_ words, but he was pretty damn pissed we weren’t answering our phones.” Your eyes opened a bit wider as you looked over to your phone on the coffee table, reaching over to grab it. Your phone had died sometime that night. You let out a small yelp and gave Hank and Connor a concerned look.  
  
“Guess that explains why I didn’t get the call…”  
  
“Well either way, sounds like you’ve got a case and Gavin is pretty eager to get on top of the crime scene. From the sounds of it he’ll be here any sec-”  
  
A loud bang on the door caught all of your attention, your heads turning towards it for a brief moment. Hank let out a groan, frowning as he looked over to you. You met his glance before motioning to the door, causing him to promptly roll his eyes.  
  
“He’s your partner,” Hank mumbled, crossing his arms as he looked back at the door. Connor glanced over at you, giving you a small smile before rolling his eyes at Hank.  
  
“I’ll get it, Lieutenant,” Connor piped in before making headway for the door. Hank dropped his arms, letting out a sigh.  
  
“Oh, come’on Connor, I don’t want that fucking idiot in my house.”  
  
“I never said I was going to let him in, Hank,” Connor pointed out, reaching to unlock the door before opening it.

He was met with a less than enthusiastic Gavin, hands shoved in his pockets and a frown on his face. He appeared to be fairly tired, the bags under his eyes more prominent than usual. He looked at Connor with a fairly displeased look, making it clear he hadn’t been happy to have the door open to him.  
  
“I’m here for my partner.” His voice was low, demanding and impatient. He seemed s in a hurry, though that’d been apparent from his urgency when yelling over the phone at Hank.  
  
“Of course,” Connor said with a nod, stepping aside as you came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder as you walked passed him. You paused beside him for a moment, hand resting on him giving him a small squeeze.  
  
“See you at work,” you said with a smile, earning one in return from him.  
  
“You too, detective.”  
  
Gavin let out a groan, glaring at the both of you as he watched your kind interaction. You rolled your eyes, turning to face Gavin as you finally made your way out the door. Gavin quickly turned and made headway for the car, quickly opening the door and hoping into the driver's seat. By the time you’d made it to the other side of the door, the car was running and Gavin was ready to pull out of the driveway.  
  
The music was too loud for first thing in the morning, a familiar band playing through the speakers that you worried may leave your ears ringing. The sound of screeching guitars and loud drums made the car thump slightly to the music as you attempted to place where you’d heard this band before.  
  
“Really? Heavy metal? And this early in the damn morning?” You questioned, letting out a groan as you sat back in the chair. Gavin ignored you, continuing to put the car in gear and start to reverse out of the driveway.  
  
“Do I at least get a good morning?” You asked, pulling the car belt over you with a click. Gavin turned his body to look out the back seat as he finished backing out the car. His face stayed neutral as he did, turning back around as he turned down the street towards the crime scene. He stayed quiet for a few moments longer, seeming as if he’d been attempting to pull himself together.  
  
“You didn’t pick up your phone,” he said plainly. You looked over at him, his eyes trained straight forward on the road, jaw noticeably clenched. Was he really that mad about your phone dying? Tension filled the air as you considered what to say, unsure if any excuse would really calm him at this point. A part of you was just waiting for him to start yelling at you as he had at Hank. As you opened your mouth to speak, he cleared his throat, snapping you out of thought.  
  
“It’s fine, whatever, just don’t let it happen again alright?”

You couldn’t help but stare for a few moments before giving your answer, thrown by the lower tone in his voice than usual. Something about him felt different, nothing like any of the vibes you’d gotten yesterday. Was he hiding something?  
  
“Right, sorry.” You turned your attention back in front of you, gazing out at the street stained wet from the rain that’d fallen the night before. Clouds still filled the sky on this early morning as the sun started to rise. You were positive the only thing keeping you from relaxing was the tight tension hanging in the air between you and your new partner.  
  
“So…” you started, “what’s the case anyway? Is there a reason you’re so eager?”  
  
“I’ve got a hunch,” he said, taking a turn off the main road and down a back alley. “An android found dead, thirium pump removed, lacerations, and the words ‘You Are Not Alive’ burned into its arm.”  
  
Your eyes widened slightly, mind tracking back to the day before when you’d gone over the case files. You reeled through thoughts that you’d pushed aside as an assumption, unsure how to respond until the realisation had dawned on you. You were snapped from your thoughts by Gavin speaking again, car halting to a stop on a wide open alleyway.  
  
“I’m gonna assume by the stupid look on your face that you’re thinking what I am.”  
  
“Wait, I’m confused, how did you even know-”  
  
“After you left last night I picked up the two files you spent so long gawking at, kinda pissed off I didn’t notice the connection sooner myself,” he huffed, appearing as if he was mentally kicking himself for letting it slip by him. Your brow furrowed, staring at him in near disbelief.  
  
“You mean to tell me you followed up on a hunch I didn’t even feel was worth mentioning?”

Gavin rolled his eyes, opening up his door to get out. “Don’t read too far into it, Rookie, I’m just doing my job.” The door slammed loudly behind him as he walked towards the bright yellow tape, two other officers standing behind it. You watched him for a moment, still a bit stunned before getting out and following after him.  
  
Together you approached the officers, both greeting Gavin, though clearly less than pleased to see him. Their attention quickly turned to you, both of them giving a smile, looking between you both. Their eyes spent no time taking wander, making you noticeably uncomfortable under their gaze as you slightly stepped behind Gavin. One smirked as if he’d been ready to say something, only to be quickly cut off by Gavin who’d been giving them a warning look before they could open their mouth.  
  
“She’s with me,” he announced as he moved to the side, a hand lifting up the yellow tape for you. “Go on, Rookie, let’s check this shit out before Dorothy and the Tinman show up,” he scoffed, following behind you as you ducked under the tape and made your way over to the body. Gavin shot each officer another glare before turning his attention back to you, standing beside you as you looked down at the carnage.  
  
Gavin let out a whistle, eyes scanning over the android body that laid still against the cold, wet ground. An AP700 model had been propped  up against the wall, body hunched over with its upper body exposed, clothes ripped open. Blue blood covered the area, a thick trail leading away towards where the thirium pump sat just out of reach of the android. Lacerations covered its chest and face, and it’s left arm appeared from afar to have been mutilated in some way.  
  
You took your time observing what you could from afar before bending down to take a closer look. Gavin kept a close eye on you, watching you intently as he observed you taking in the information, curious of how you personally handled a crime scene.  
  
“Hey, Y/N,” he called, nodding his head towards the damaged arm as you looked back towards him. You turned your attention to it, gazing over to it. The arm had deep imprinted burns that clearly read “You Are Not Alive”, the writing in a bold thick lettering. It’d been clear whoever had done this had used some sort of tool.  
  
As you examined the scene further, Gavin pulled out his phone, taking pictures of the different evidence. He wandered to each clearly marked piece by the bright numbered signs, as well as swiftly checking for any missed evidence. As he finished, he came up behind you, leaning over your shoulder to get a snapshot of the burns on the arm, taking a good look at it himself.  
  
“Looks pretty similar to me. What do you think, Rookie?”    
  
You hummed for a moment, letting out a deep breath and turning to look up at him. Your chest felt tight as you chewed the inside of your cheek, mulling over the thought that this could really be what you were thinking.

“Yeah,” you started with a deep exhale. “I think you’re right- We’ve got a serial killer on our hands.”

He raised an eyebrow, letting out a small smirk before standing up straight.

“Hank’s gonna be real jealous when he finds out we made the connection before him and detective Gadget.” He laughed. As you stood up, Gavin lifted his phone and began to dial Fowler’s number, raising the phone to his ear. Gavin looked back up to you, meeting your gaze with a cocky look.  
  
“Hey Rookie - nice work,” he said with a wink before turning to walk towards the car. Heat bloomed across your face, chest fuzzy with the compliment. Though you were quick to suppress the idea this reaction had anything to do with the detective, you couldn’t help feel some pride in his compliment.  
  
  
___________________________________________  
  
  
“Hey Rookie, think you can print out the crime scene photos if I send them to ya?” Gavin pushed the front door of the office open with his shoulder, tapping away on his phone as he composed an email for you. “We need to get a case file put together by the end of the day and write up what we saw.” You followed closely behind him, rolling your eyes before answering.  
  
“Sure, but what the fuck are you going to do?” you shot, suspicious of his intentions after leaving you with his work yesterday.  
  
“I don’t fuck around on cases, got that? I’m going to debrief Fowler, then I’ll join you back at our desks to write the report,” he returned, voice deeper as he took offence. He glanced up from his phone to look at you as he shoved the device back in his pocket. “By the way, I got on Chris’ ass last night, your desk should be clear for you to work on now.”  
  
You shot him a frown at his words, disappointed to hear he’d harassed another coworker in order to free up your desk. Honestly you would have done it yourself if you’d been given somewhere to pack it away. Before you had time to shoot him a snarky remark he quickly headed to the otherside of the room towards Fowlers office.  
  
Letting out a sigh you walked towards your desk, the space now clear of the clutter that covered it yesterday and your name now nicely printed on the stand that sat on the side. Taking a seat, you logged into the computer and worked on opening your email to print the photos Gavin had sent you. As you clicked through the options you heard a voice call your name, looking up to see Officer Miller offering you a small smile. You smiled back softly and offered a warm hello as you turned away from your computer to stand up.  
  
“Detective Y/N, I just wanted to offer you a congratulations on your promotion to homicide. I know it hasn’t been long but I hope you’re enjoying yourself so far.”

You gave him a nod, letting out a sigh shortly after.

“I am. Detective Reed is piece of work, but I’m starting to think maybe I judged his ability as a detective too quickly.” Both of you shared a laugh. You perked up for a moment, suddenly remembering what Gavin had said earlier. “Oh, and, I’m so sorry to have rushed you out of your old desk so quickly. I hope Gavin didn’t give you too hard of time, he can be a real asshole sometimes.”

Officer Miller raised an eyebrow, looking at you quizzically before offering up a dry laugh. “Unless you call packing up my old desk for me giving me a hard time then I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

You blinked, jaw dropping a little as you glanced over towards the glass office Gavin was sitting in, then turned back towards Officer Miller.

“He told me he harassed you into getting it done.”

He gave a laugh, rolling his eyes. “You learn pretty quickly Gavin isn’t as bad as he’d like you to think. Sure, he acts like an asshole, but he has his way of showing he cares.”

Your gaze softened as you glanced back towards Gavin once more, almost confused by the fact he’d done something for you. It really did feel like you were hearing about a completely different person than the guy you’d spent the past twenty-four hours working with.  
  
“Anyways I should be getting back to work, let’s talk again Detective Y/N.” You looked back up at him with a smile and a nod.  
  
“Yes, let’s,” you said politely before excusing yourself to go and fetch the photos from the printer. As you gathered the photos the nice gesture Gavin had made tugged at your mind. You really wouldn’t have expected such an act from the rude idiot you’d met yesterday--though, first impressions do have a tendency of being just that.  
  
As you made your way back to your desk, you slowed as you walked by the break room. Pausing, you looked between it and the desk where Gavin had seemed to returned to now. You hummed for a moment before making a quick stop to the break room, grabbing a cup and pressing a few buttons on the coffee machine.  
  
You smiled softly to yourself as you scooped up the coffee and made your way back to your desk. Placing the pictures on your desk, you made your way over to Gavin’s, offering the coffee out in front of him. Gavin’s brow furrowed as he stared at the cup, then looked up towards you questioningly.  
  
“What the fuck is this?” he asked, a frown on his face as he looked up to meet your gaze. He seemed to be searching for a reason for this action, honestly confused by why you’d bring this to him.  
  
“It’s just a thank you,” you said calmly, a gentle smile on your face. Gavin scoffed, letting out a small laugh as he took the cup from you and turned back to his computer to continue filling out the paperwork.  
  
“I don’t remember doing anything for you but I won’t complain about coffee,” he said, taking a long sip of it. You watched him with a smile as you made your way back around to your desk, sitting down to start doing your own work.  
  
Maybe you were wrong; maybe you could work well with him.  
  
____________________________________________________  
  
“Hey Y/N! Is it true you were the one who finally made a breakthrough on those cold cases?”  
  
You looked up from your computer to be met by a tired looking Hank, a smile on his face as he walked in after a long day in the field. You smiled proudly, shooting a cocky smirk his way.  
  
“Why? You mad that I made more progress on my second day then you’d made all month?” you asked playfully, being met with an eye roll from the gruff lieutenant. He crossed his arms and gave you a glare. You laughed, giving a nod in response.

“Yeah, though I admit I would have overlooked it if it weren’t for Gavin’s perseverance.”  
  
Hank quirked a brow, glancing over at your partner as he continued to sip at his coffee and type away the report from today. Hank seemed to watch him for a few moments before glancing back towards you and giving you a smile.  
  
“Ah c’mon, you figured out something even Mr. ‘I Don’t Miss Anything Android’ didn’t notice. Don’t sell yerself short. You’ve got the same intuitiveness you did back when we were partners. You always used to show me up.” He huffed, dropping his hands to put them on his hips. You let out a breathy laugh. You looked over towards Gavin, looking noticeably more tense than he had been, your smile dropping from your face as you gazed over towards him.  
  
“So ,Y/N, you coming home with Connor and I?” You turned your attention back to Hank and shook your head. Your head already felt heavy with sleep as you did your best to contain a yawn.  
  
“No, I’m still recovering from yesterday, but I wouldn’t mind a ride home if that’s alright.”  
  
“Yeah, of course. Let me just grab Connor and we can head out for the day.”

You smiled brightly, turning back to your computer. “Sure thing, I’ll finish up here and I’ll be ready to go.”  
  
When you finished typing up your work, you logged off your computer and started to rearrange the files spread out on your desk for the evening. Gavin hadn’t moved in hours, eyes still focused on his screen intently. You sighed, calling his name softly until he turned to look at you.  
  
“What?” He grumbled.  
  
“You headed home soon?” He seemed to stare at you for a moment, considering his response, before turning back to his computer.  
  
“Not ‘till this fucking reports done. You go Rookie, I’ll see ya tomorrow.” You watched him for a few moments before glancing towards Hank to let him know you were ready to go, you both shared a nod. You stood up, walking over to Gavin to place the files you’d printed on his desk.  
  
“Don’t stay too late, alright?” You urged, him rolling his eyes at you.  
  
“Yeah whatever. Hey, charge your fucking phone would ya?” he said, clipped and annoyed..

You smirked and gave him a nod. “Will do.”  
  
____________________________________________________  
  
You sat back in Hank’s car with a sigh, sitting in the passenger's seat whilst Connor sat in the back. You felt as if today had been a marathon, with the crime scene on top of the paperwork and the slightest hint of a hangover buzzing all day.

Connor tilted his head as he listened to your sigh, glancing up into the rearview mirror to look at you.

“Is everything alright, Detective?”

You smiled softly, turning just enough to look back at him. “Yeah, just a long day.”

Hank snorted, letting out a hardy laugh. Connor tilted his head the other way toward Hank, brow furrowing and eyes narrowing as he processed Hank’s reaction.  
  
“Am I missing something, Lieutenant?” Hank shook his head and let out another laugh as he looked over at you and then back to the road.  
  
“Just that everyday is going to be tiring with the partnerY/N is stuck with,” he chuckled. You glared at him for a moment before leaning your head against the window and closing your eyes, the exhaustion of the day really starting to hit you.  
  
“He’s a good detective,” you stated plainly. Hank and Connor both shared a glance through the rearview mirror before glancing over to you.  
  
“That doesn’t change that he’s….”  
  
“A capital-A Asshole.” Hank finished.  
  
“Yes... I suppose that description would fit Detective Reed’s attitude.”

You snorted, waving your hand as you sat back up in your chair.  
  
“Believe me, I agree. I just realized he’s not as garbage at his job as I thought before,” you said with a glance at Hank, who seemed to be giving a nod.

Hank frowned and glared out the window as he turned down your street, remaining silent for a couple moments before replying. “He was top of his class, ya’know?”

You let out a hum in question, coaxing an explanation out of him. ,.  
  
“Gavin,” he went on. As if that explained anything. “He was well on his way to being the next youngest lieutenant in Detroit.”

Your eyes widened for a moment, opening your mouth to reply but not sure what to say. Hank pulled over to park out in front of your house, turning over to look towards you, an inexplicable pain surfacing in his eyes.  
  
“The boy is a good detective. I used to really believe he’d do good to the force, but he’s long since lost my fucking respect.” He paused, jaw clenching before he continued. “Just be careful would ya? I don’t want that idiot fucking with you.”

You searched Hank’s face, trying to decipher the look in his eyes before offering a nod. You felt the air in the car thicken, even the sound of Connor shifting uncomfortably behind you sounding much too loud.  
  
“It is worth noting, Detective, that even though Detective Reed may be a good investigator, he still has his faults. I’ve personally dealt with some... less than favourable encounters with him.” You turned to look at Connor, eyeing him with a worried look of concern before looking back towards Hank.  
  
“I will keep this in mind, thank you--And Hank? I know you have my back if I ever need anything.”  
  
After sharing a small smile, you said goodbye to them both, excusing yourself out of the car and making your way up to your apartment. It didn’t take you long to kick off your shoes and change into something more comfortable. Heading to your bedroom, you flopped onto your bed, leaning over to grab your charging cord and finally plug in your phone, Gavin’s words ringing loudly in your ear.

  
With a click and a buzz, you were assured it was charging and told yourself you’d finally check what you missed in the morning. With that you rolled over, snuggling under the covers as you got ready to finally call it a night. It was still early but you knew with the TV on it’d take you awhile to fully fall asleep anyway.  
  
After a long day, you’d certainly earned the lazy evening.  
  
____________________________________________________  
  
The incessant beeping of your alarm clock dragged you from a pleasant sleep; , you rolled over and reached for the clock, slapping it back to snooze. You sat up and stretched your arms over your head, turning to your phone and picking it up only to remember it’d died the day before. You clicked it on and rolled out of bed to start getting ready whilst it turned itself back on.  
  
When you finished getting ready, you grabbed your phone to give it a quick glance before heading out to work. As you turned on the screen, your mouth parted as you stared at the notifications. 5 missed calls and 20 texts from Gavin from the night before. You blinked a few times before unlocking your phone, pulling up the messages. Your eyes widened as you slowly scrolled through them.  
  
_Hey Y/N we got a case_  
  
_Pick up your fucking phone Rookie_  
  
_You better not be passed out drunk or some shit_  
  
_U ok?_  
  
_U ignoring me Rookie_  
  
_Hank’s not picking up text me if u ok_  
  
_I swear to god if you got yourself into trouble first night on the job_  
  
_Fucksake just text me back_  
  
_I’m going to bust Hanks door down if you don’t fucking reply_  
  
He’d been worried. Shit he’d been worried. It dawned on you the way he’d been acting the morning before, that anger you’d experienced in the car wasn’t over the stupidity of your phone dying, no it’s because _he was worried._  You stared at your phone in disbelief as you processed every text with its increased urgency, the instant guilt of how you’d treated his irritation building up with each second.  
  
You shoved your phone in your pocket and ran out the door for work, jumping into your car and making your way to the station as quickly as possible. The traffic moved slowly, the morning traffic busier than usual because--of course it fucking was. Anxiously chewing on the inside of your cheek as you finally pulled into the parking lot at the station, you unclicked your seatbelt and slammed the door to your car as you rushed in.  
  
You slowed down as you walked through the door, headed towards the bullpen, you pushed open the second door, opening it with a pause in the doorway. You spotted Gavin sitting at his desk, smiling softly, your anxiety washed away just at the sight of him, and it left you feeling just a little bit silly. You didn’t know what you wanted to say, if you wanted to say anything, slowly taking steps over to your desk.  
  
As you approached you saw something sitting on your desk- a coffee cup. As you made your way closer, you could make out a bright post-it note sitting just under it, the writing unclear until you moved to stand behind your desk. Your mouth parted for a few moment, eyes glancing up towards Gavin who was busy on his phone before moving back down to read what’d been written.  
  
_Good job yesterday Rookie- Let’s crack this case ;)_  
  
You smiled to yourself, looking up at Gavin as you lifted up the note.  
  
“Hey Gavin?”

He let out a small grunt in response, eyes not leaving his phone as he continued to scroll. You watched him for a few moments, putting the note back down on your desk and reaching for the cup of coffee.  
  
“Let’s crack this case.”

He smirked, eyes looking up to yours as his lips tugged into a smile. He stood up and shoved his phone in his pocket, motioning over to you.  
  
“Let’s get a move on then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me about Gavin  
> @princeforestfox on tumblr and twitter  
> my main on tumblr is @Xephoxs


	3. Youngblood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavins acting weird...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of this chapter is inspired by the song by 5 Seconds of summer
> 
> Thank you so much to the beta readers,  
> My husband- @glacial-coyote on tumblr  
> and two of my besties- @etherealdechart & @aelwen on tumblr!

“UUuuuugh!”   
  
You glanced up from the report you’d been going over to the desk across from yours. Gavin sat with his head flush against his desk with his arms resting on the table. With a roll of your eyes, you looked back down at your work and smiled to yourself.   
  
“You alright over there? Or did the paperwork finally bully you into giving up?”   
  
Gavin didn’t respond. It took him a few moments before he lifted his head to look at you. Dark crescents had formed under his eyes, the clear evidence of long nights at work wearing away at his precious sleep. He pushed away from his desk, standing up and pushing a hand roughly though his hair as he stared down the files from the case. A months’ worth of files were spread out, out of order and displaced.   
  
Gavin leaned forward on the desk, hands both flat down as he hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut, body tense as his fingers attempted to grip the flat surface of the desk. He gave a quick quip under his breath, cursing as he slammed his foot into the desk with a loud bang, startling you and the rest of the office.   
  
The office stayed quiet for a few moments, save for the sound of a few ringing phones, everyone making eyes towards Gavin before continuing on with their work. You watched him carefully before putting down your paperwork with a sigh, moving to get up.   
  
“Let me get you a coffee,” you offered softly. He made no attempt to acknowledge you.

You hovered, watching his tense body as it trembled ever so slightly. Your brow furrowed, taking a glance around the room as you stepped over to his desk. It was evident, though your coworkers did their best to hide it, that they were still glancing over to watch your partner’s behaviour. Reaching out you put a gentle hand on his shoulder, his body flinching under your touch as you attempted to get his attention.   
  
“Gavin, c’mon, let’s take a walk; we could both use some fresh air.”

Your tone remained soft as you urged him, tension bleeding out of his shoulders as he pushed off the desk to stand up straight. He glanced over your shoulder towards the others who’d been staring at him, holding a glare for several seconds before turning to head towards the door with a small curse. You let out a heavy sigh before following after him, watching him stalk his way through the front of the office and out the front door. You tailed behind him as you watched him walk over to the side of the building, slamming the side of his fist against the wall.   
  
“Fuck! Y/N! What the fuck is wrong with me! We’ve been at this damn case for over a month now and we haven’t got a single goddamn lead!” Gavin shoved his hands in his pockets; he leaned against the wall, letting his head fall back with a dull thud.. He let out a loud groan and kicked his heel against it in frustration. You leaned your side against the wall, watching him with a soft gaze as he squeezed his eyes shut before relaxing his expression. It was late, the] evening chill setting in, making both of your noses quickly turn pink as you stood in silence, the wind blowing roughly through your clothes.   
  
“Gavin,” you started, waiting for him to lift his gaze to yours.. “We’re doing our best--not all cases can be solved in a week.”   
  
Gavin kicked himself off the wall, taking a few steps forward and looking out into the parking lot, deep in thought. You blew out a breath and crossed your arms across your chest, letting him stew over whatever was going on inside his head. He let out a dry laugh, chin falling to his chest as he stared at the floor.   
  
“Bet you think I’m a pretty shitty partner after working with Hank, huh?” His voice was despondent, a scoff following slowly after. You pushed off the wall, frowning sharply. Where the hell was this coming from?   
  
“What the fuck are you talking about?” He turned to face you as you stalked over to him. “Of course I don’t think you’re a shit partner, Gavin. Where the hell did you get that from?” you shot, his eyes appearing cold, frown prominent on his face as he stared down towards you.

The tension between you built, neither one of you willing to drop your gaze. You stared up at him quizzically as you attempted to decipher his emotions, he was holding something back.

Gavin opened his mouth to speak with a sharp inhale but before he could say a word, a loud ringtone cut through the air, diffusing the tension. His gaze didn’t waver from yours as he pulled out his phone, answering it with his usual annoyed tone.  
  
“ _What?_ ” he barked, eyes narrowing slightly as he listened. “Alright, got it.” He ended the call and shoved it back in his pocket, eyes holding a concerning shimmer as he finally broke eye contact.

“We got another murder.”   
  
Your face fell at the news,frowning as you gave a nod. After a month of working this case, each android life lost felt like blood on both your hands. It had been evident the stress was quickly piling up on Gavin, his frustration with his own inability to crack the case causing him to grow more agitated with himself day by day. Although you tried your best to reassure him you’d both catch this sicko, you’d be lying if you hadn’t started to feel the pressure as well.   
  
You let out a shaky breath, putting your own hands in your pockets as you looked up at him. The sun was starting to set, the cool air making your breath visible. You tried to say something, but Gavin cut you off.   
  
“We’re gonna be up all night at this rate. I gotta do something--meet you there?” He posed it as a question, though the way he quickly turned to make way to his car, it was more a statement than anything else. What a moody bastard, you thought wryly as you ran to catch up with him.   
  
“Wouldn’t it be quicker if I just came with you?” You stared at him questioningly, watching him as he dug for his car keys in his front pant pocket. As he unlocked his car he looked up at you, pausing as he stared at you for a moment.   
  
“I just, I gotta go home first, alright?”   
  
You narrowed your eyes, raising an eyebrow at him. You’d been working with him for a month now, but never had you seen him act so weird before. With a nod, you started to walk over to the passenger side of his car, his expression changing to a glare as he watched. He went to open his mouth to protest, but you quickly cut him off.   
  
“Gavin, we both know it makes more sense if we go together. I’m coming with.”

Gavin stared back at you for a few moments before rolling his eyes, pulling his door open and getting in, slamming the door behind him. With a small smile at his ridiculous behaviour you popped the passenger door open and got in. He quickly started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, expression neutral as he stared straight forward. At this point you were used to the silent treatment when he didn’t get his way.

Shifting to relax in the car you looked over at him, eyes drifting over him as you took in his current appearance. He seemed tense, visibly not able to relax as he gripped tightly at the steering wheel. You focused on the deep scar that laid on his nose, the one you’ve always noticed but never asked after. You always found yourself drawn to it in moments like this, when you could silently watch him, observe him. At times you found yourself wishing you could reach out and soothe it, ask him who hurt him, ask him why he’s so defensive--even towards his partner, who you’d like to think he’d grown to trust.   
  
“The fuck you staring at, Rookie?”   
  
You snapped out of your thoughts to see Gavin glancing at you before turning back to the road. You parted your lips as if to answer, but instead deciding to shake your head, averting your gaze.   
  
“Nothing, sorry, just lost in thought.”   
  
Gavin glanced at you again, letting out a huff as he shifted slightly. You did your best to keep your eyes off him before looking back at him again, trying to be inconspicuous.   
  
“So, what are you going home to do anyway?” you probed, still confused as to why he couldn’t just tell you earlier. You found it highly unlikely he had something like a plant to go water before a crime scene--not only that but you don’t think you’d ever seen him put anything before work like this. In fact, he was quite anal about being the first to a crime scene.   
  
“Don’t worry about it,” he snapped, causing you to frown in shock at his sudden hostility. You shifted to sit up straight, staring at him for a moment as you considered your response.   
  
“I thought we told each other everything. What’s so important you can’t even tell your partner?” you pushed, hoping he would tell you, watching as his eyes narrowed and his grip tightened on the steering wheel. Your face softened, blinking as you continued to gaze up at his face. Was he blushing?   
  
“It’s not important and it doesn’t concern you,” he continued, voice softer yet still edging on defensive. You tilted your head in curiosity--what was he hiding that left him like this? As Gavin turned into his driveway, he parked abruptly and shut off the car. Gavin unbuckled his seat belt and shot you a glare. “Stay here, you got it?”

As he turned to get out of the car, you spoke up, causing him to turn back to you.  
  
“Actually Gavin, could I use your bathroom?”

Gavin stared at you, quiet as pink dusted his cheeks once more, frowning. You both shared a silent conversation, his gaze held strong with glimmering concern as he met yours. Your eyes remained soft and open, raising your brow as you attempted to reassure him. You both sat there in silence for a mere minute, though it felt like a never ending plea as you attempted to ask for his trust in whatever he’d been hiding.  
  
“Phck, alright, come on,” he said reluctantly, turning to get out of his car.

You followed suit, getting out of the car and closing the door behind you. The house wasn’t big; a bungalow with a nice yard and no fence. You took in the scenery of trees with fallen leaves as you made your way up to his door behind him. The air was cold in the day, quickly turning night, eager to step inside as Gavin finally got the door unlocked, opening it so you both could step inside.   
  
Gavin kicked off his shoes, dropping his keys on the counter. He pointed you over towards the hall to the right as he walked towards his kitchen, situated not far from the door.

“Bathroom is first door on the left. Hurry up, I don’t want Hank and RoboPrick there too early before us.”   
  
You gave a nod as you wiped off your shoes, quickly heading down the hall to the bathroom. As you made quick work of relieving yourself, a sound from outside the bathroom caught your attention. You weren’t completely positive what your partner was doing out there, but it sounded like a cereal box being shaken. You shook away the thought as you washed your hands, mind still wondering what it was that Gavin had been hiding. His house was nice enough, so it can’t have been that--and what had him so flustered earlier.   
  
You hummed to yourself as you turned off the water, pausing to listen as you heard a small mumble in the other room. You cocked your head as you listened, drying off your hands before moving towards the door. You considered walking out but hesitated, instead you pressed your ear to the door and listened closely, but couldn’t make out anything. Though it was clear Gavin was talking, it somehow sounded different to his usual tone. You chuckled to yourself; maybe he really did come to look after a houseplant and this is what he was so embarrassed about.   
  
Reaching for the doorknob, you slowly opened the door. Peeking around the corner you took a step out--it seemed Gavin had moved from his kitchen and had made his way into the living room around the corner from the hall. You slowly made your way down the hall back the way you came, halting when you could hear his voice just loud enough to listen.   
  
“I gotta work late tonight so I hope you don’t miss me too much,” he cooed, voice a lot calmer than you’re used to, tone much more soothing--warm, even, more than you’d been used to hearing. “Did you see that lady? That’s my partner, the one I told you about. I haven’t told her about you guys yet, but I hope you’ll get along.”

A small flutter passed through your chest. Despite the lack of knowledge as to whom he was talking, hearing him talk about you with such a soft tone left your face feeling warm. As you stepped around the corner your heart fluttered again, mouth parting slightly at the sight you beheld. Your partner was sat on the floor, back to the couch with not one, but two cats climbing on top of him. A smile quickly crept to your face as you took in the scene, Gavin looking up to see you before quickly looking away, his face a much darker red than you’d ever seen.   
  
You dropped to your knees not too far in front of Gavin, one of the cats coming over to inspect you. You watched them softly as they sniffed you, rubbing their head against your knee and then your hand. You gently patted down its back and it leaned into your touch. You couldn’t help but beam as you watched it. Gavin cleared his throat, grabbing your attention as you looked up at hm.   
  
“That brown one, rubbing against you, his name is Monster.” You looked back down at the cat and chuckled a little before looking back up at Gavin, quirking an eyebrow.   
  
“Monster?” you questioned, tone a bit teasing as he picked the other cat up beside him, placing it down on his lap. He scratched under its chin, his gaze gentle in a way you’d never thought possible for Gavin fucking Reed.   
  
“Yeah, found him abandoned inside an old monster truck tire.” You watched him as he talked, hands so gentle, breathing normal; you weren’t sure you’d ever seen him this relaxed--this calm. These cats brought him a level of peace he had no where else in his life. “I thought Truck would be a bit weird,” he said with a smirk, finally looking up to make eye contact with you. “This grey one here is Andy.”   
  
“Is there a reason you’ve never told me about them?” you asked softly. “They seem to mean a lot to you.”

Gavin was quiet as he considered his response, his hands absentmindedly petting his cat.   
  
“They do,” he exhaled. “But it’s also no one's dang business either.”

You frowned, looking down at the two cats, leaning forward just far enough to pat Andy who was still sat in Gavin’s lap, your hands brushing his softly as you ran your fingers over the soft fur.   
  
“You know, I don’t think any different of you.” Your voice was soft, feeling as though his defensiveness around the topic had been returning. “It’s ok to let your guard down sometimes, Gavin.”

Gavin stared down as he watched you stroke his cat, heart pounding in his chest as you leaned so closely to him. The breath hitched in his throat, and he abruptly stood up, forcing Andy to jump off of him and you to sit back. Clearing his throat, Gavin started walking towards the door, grabbing his keys and starting to put his shoes back on.

“C’mon Rookie, we gotta go.”

With a nod you stood up, following after him. You waved to his cats before heading out the door. A small smile spread across your face as you heard him quietly attempt to say goodbye without you hearing, heart warming softly at the new found information about your partner.  
  
__________________________________________________   
  
As you arrived at the crime scene you spotted Hank’s car, Gavin let out a string of curses as he pulled up and parked. You gave Gavin a knowing look, not exactly wanting to have to deal with any drama this late in the evening. You were tired of having to file reports on Gavin’s behaviour on top of the paper work for the crime scene.   
  
As you both got out, you walked towards the taped off area, the android manning it let you by. Gavin frowned as he looked towards Ben and Hank, rolling his shoulders back as he started to strut his way over to them with a nasty look on his face. Rolling your eyes, you grabbed Gavin’s arm, tugging him back for a moment.   
  
“Gavin, please try not to start something. I’m going to go see what’s up with the body. Just, don’t be as much of an asshole as usual,” you pleaded.

Gavin glanced over towards the body where Connor stood, eyeing him up before looking back down at you. Your eyes lock for a long moment before he breaks away..   
  
“Alright, whatever,” he scowled, walking over in a less intimidating way once you let go of his arm.

You watched him for a moment more before turning your attention over towards the body. You walked slowly up beside Connor, tilting your head to look at him as he stared analytically at the body at your feet.   
  
“Hey Connor?” you called.

No response, his eyes shifting slightly from side to side as he looked down at the floor not far from the head of the body. You traced his gaze, brow furrowing when you found nothing of interest. Raising a hand you put it on his shoulder, calling his name once more. “Connor? Do you have something?”

Connor jumped at the contact, head snapping to look at you, his lips partially parted from the startle.   
  
“Oh, uh, Detective Y/N...No. Nothing.” Connor turned back to the body, eyes shifting at the spot before seeming to move back to the body.

You gave a gentle nod before turning to look down at it yourself. You pulled out your camera as you took a step over to the other side of the body, photographing the different evidence.   
  
“Looks just like the other cases...huh,” you said softly, tone melancholic as you reflected. You’ve been tracking this guy for a month now.. Sure, it wasn’t an open and shut case, but this still seemed to get harder every time a life was lost. Connor offered you a look of sympathy, before giving a gentle nod.   
  
“Sadly, it does appear that way,” he stated simply, leaning down to examine the body more closely.

Your stomach turned as you watched him raise the burned and mutilated arm, bubbled skin from burned plastic with crisp black edges that read “You Are Not Alive”. You looked away, before coming around to take a photo over Connor’s shoulder, him holding it in good view for you.   
  
“God, this doesn’t get any easier does it,” you mumbled, slipping your phone back into your pocket. As you stood, Connor followed suit, bringing a hand to the side of your arm. You looked up at his soft gaze, eyes complicated as they stared back at you.   
  
“You’re doing great, Detective,” he said simply, your mouth tugging into a soft smile as you stared back at him.

Connor dropped his arm, keeping his attention to you before a loud sound grabbed both of your attentions. You both turned over to where you’d left your partners, loud voices erupting over each other and starting a commotion. You each looked at the other with dread before rushing over to where you saw your partners trying to lunge at eachother, Ben and another officer attempting to restrain and tear them apart. Gavin spit on the floor towards Hank, face an aggressive glare as he stared down the older man. Hank let out a dry laugh, smirking at Gavin and rolling his eyes.   
  
“Ya think yer so tough, don’t cha?” Hank teased, Ben finally letting him go, adjusting his jacket and crossing his arms in front of him. “If you keep this shit up you’ll be thrown off the case altogether, you really want that?” He frowned, looking over to you and Connor as you both got closer. 

“Keep yourself outta my case, Hank!” Gavin growled.

You raked your eyes over Hank--it was clear he’d gotten out with hardly a scrape. You let out a sigh of relief before turning to raise your voice at your partner, pausing mid breath as you turned to see the blood that stained his face. Your mouth dropped open as you rushed over to look at him, gaze quickly meeting yours only to look away just as fast. He turned his head from you, putting his hands up to keep you away from him as you tried to inspect the injury.   
  
“What the fuck Gavin! I asked you to do one thing! And now look at you!” you shrieked, slapping his arm sharply before turning to Hank.

Hank looked at you as if he wasn’t partially to blame, meeting your gaze with a frown as he gestured towards your partner to imply it’d been all his fault. You let out a long breath; it was too late for you to be dealing with this right now.   
  
“Jeez! Calm down, Rookie, it’s not broken or anything,” he huffed, staring off into nowhere to avoid meeting eyes with you. You looked him up and down before taking a deep breath.   
  
“Go wait in the car, Gavin. I’ll finish up here and we can head back to the station.” Your voice was much calmer than you expected, though the edge was still clearly there.

  
Gavin laughed, but as he turned to meet your eyes he could see the disappointment, shutting him up immediately. He opened his mouth to say something before closing it promptly and giving a nod. Reaching into your pocket you pulled out a packet of tissues, presenting it to him and watching as he hesitated before taking them from you.   
  
You stared up at him, eyes going over the bloodied nose and blood that began to dry on his face. You looked up at him with concern - if not for the bloodied nose, then concern as to why he felt the need to act out as he did around Hank, your chest tightening at the thought.   
  
“Go, I’ll handle this.” You pushed his shoulder, his eyes moving past you to glance over at Hank and Connor before turning and heading to the car. He walked away, back hunched as he left, much less confident than when you’d arrived.   
  
“This is gonna be a long night,” you sighed.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yell at me about Gavin  
> @princeforestfox on tumblr and twitter  
> my main on tumblr is @Xephoxs


End file.
